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UTI?

Livia Rabideau

Livia Rabideau

Adult Guinea Pig
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My girl has been treated for a UTI for the last 10 days. She has baytril twice a day and had metacam for the first week. She had blood in her urine and bacteria. The doctor said her urine pH was perfect and there was very little calcium something I forget what he called it in her urine and it was also dilute. Her last dose was supposed to be yesterday, however he gave me enough for 2 weeks. I checked her urine this morning with a urine test strip and it was dark green for the presence of blood. I saw a drop of blood today in her urine as she peed too. Should I still be seeing blood? Obviously I am calling in the morning. I will continue with the baytril until I hear from the doctor. She has tolerated baytril very well. No weight loss or diarrhea. No pain that I can tell through this whole thing. No squeaking or straining. What should the next step be? Longer baytril? 10 days doesn't seem like very long. Different antibiotic? I have read that bactrim may be more effective. Or should I ask for an x-ray already? This is my first piggy illness and I want to make sure I do the best for her. Thank you in advance!
 
Hi! UTI can take 3-4 weeks to clear. Please see your vet if symptoms persist or return after the end of a course. He may consider trying bactrim (the equivalent UK brands are sulfatrim or septrin).

There are several urinary tract problems that can present with very much the same symptoms. Vets generally treat for a bacterial UTI or cystitis first as the most common problem. A bladder stone check would be next, but your vet seems to have already made a check for that. Did he check whether the bladder felt soft or hard? A soft bladder won't contain a stone; he would also have checked the urine for the presence of crystals.

The third problem is a non-bacterial recurring cystitis, i.e. an inflammation of the bladder walls, which doesn't react much or only temporarily to antibiotics. If it is recurring every few weeks, we talk about interstitial cystitis (IC). It can only be diagnosed by default after all other urinary issues have been included. Strongly red coloured pees (which do not necessarily contain blood) are typical for especially the start of another acute phase.
We don't know yet really what is causing it and cannot heal it, only manage it (generally with metacam, which is not just a painkiller but also an anti-inflammatory) until it goes away on its own, more in a matter of years rather than months, sadly. the good news is that it doesn't cause stones and it is not life-shortening. My Nerys still had another three years and lived to the high age of 8 years after 3 years of IC.
We recommend giving a glucosamine based cat food supplement (which is no medication and therefore not necessarily prescribed by vet) like cystease to support the natural glucosamine coat of the bladder walls. IC has become a lot more common over the last decade.
Links - Interstitial Cystitis - Guinea Lynx Records

All the best!
 
Livia Rabideau said:
He said her bladder was nice and soft. Thank you!
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That is good news. Even if you end up with IC, a soft bladder means that it is only on the mild side and that the bladder walls are not hardened or thickened, or the bladder shrunk. :tu:

If your piggy is suffering from recurring problems, we have got diet advice.
 
Wiebke said:
That is good news. Even if you end up with IC, a soft bladder means that it is only on the mild side and that the bladder walls are not hardened or thickened, or the bladder shrunk. :tu:

If your piggy is suffering from recurring problems, we have got diet advice.
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Thank you so much! Makes me feel a bit better! I have had cats with cystitis before. I adjusted diet and gave cosequin and he did great besides the occasional flare.
 
I bought a Brita water pitcher today to start double filtering their water. I read we have hard to really hard water. I have cut back to a tablespoon of kms hayloft pellets a day for now. The veggies I feed are cucumber, green and red leaf lettuce, cilantro and basil occasionally and bell pepper. I give a small piece of apple or watermelon maybe once or twice a month.
 
Ok so I am a dummy. I thought she was on baytril for the last 10 days. I was mistaken. She was on bactrim. Now she has the real baytril and it smells terrible! 😥. I don't want to give it to her. I talked to her previous owner and she has had it before with no problem, but ugh that smell. Here goes the first dose!
 
Oh her face😂. She was like what the ....! I had a piece of watermelon to chase it with. Lol. Took her a second to want to eat it though. Lol.
 
Haha bless her! Yes baytril is very nasty indeed. If you are giving pain relief I always do that first then usually they think they are getting a second dose of yummy metacam just long enough for me to get the baytril in their mouths lol
 
I feel your pain as my girl Ellen is currently being treated for a uti (she also has a past of IC which Wiebke has talked about above)

Ellen has had uti’s before and so have other piggies of mine and sometimes they have been on septrin for 4 weeks before the infection cleared up.

Ellen is like your girl, nice soft bladder, no squeaking or straining. She’s on metacam too and is on her 5th day of treatment xx
 
Dots still having godd and bad days from her cystitis,the bad days arnt very bad though. antibiotics would help her but ghen it came straight back, shes has red urine every now and again. But its getting less and less. Cystease seems to help it, but I'm not sure
 
I am in the United States. Is cosequin the equivalent of cystease? I had a cat with cystitis and it helped him. If these antibiotics don't work I will have an x-ray done to be sure there is no stone. My doctor wants to give antibiotics longer. He wasn't leaning towards a stone at all, but only a scan will completely rule it out. I have a naturally worried mind, so easing it is essential lol.
 
Livia Rabideau said:
I am just curious about why she doesn't seem to be in pain? Maybe she is good at hiding it? Hope your girl feels better!
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My vet said that Ellen's uti was only mild and we'd caught it super early so maybe it's the same for your girl? You would definitely know if she was in pain and it was a bad uti x
 
Skypipdot said:
Dots still having godd and bad days from her cystitis,the bad days arnt very bad though. antibiotics would help her but ghen it came straight back, shes has red urine every now and again. But its getting less and less. Cystease seems to help it, but I'm not sure
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That's what both Emma and Ellen were like with their IC too. I'm glad the cystease is helping
 
Livia Rabideau said:
I am in the United States. Is cosequin the equivalent of cystease? I had a cat with cystitis and it helped him. If these antibiotics don't work I will have an x-ray done to be sure there is no stone. My doctor wants to give antibiotics longer. He wasn't leaning towards a stone at all, but only a scan will completely rule it out. I have a naturally worried mind, so easing it is essential lol.
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my vet said dot could have a tiny stone, that wouldnt show up on xray. I'm just hoping not, a clump of powder came out with red urine a few nights ago, but nothing since. She had an xray and got all clear for sludge and any obvious stones
 
Livia Rabideau said:
I am in the United States. Is cosequin the equivalent of cystease? I had a cat with cystitis and it helped him. If these antibiotics don't work I will have an x-ray done to be sure there is no stone. My doctor wants to give antibiotics longer. He wasn't leaning towards a stone at all, but only a scan will completely rule it out. I have a naturally worried mind, so easing it is essential lol.
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I would imagine it's the same thing. Does it come in a capsule with white powder inside?

I had scans and xrays done in the past but the vet has assured me it isn't a stone as her bladders soft and she's not in pain so I'm trusting her this time as Ellen does have a history of IC and uti's but it's always worth having a scan done if you're concerned
 
Claire W said:
I would imagine it's the same thing. Does it come in a capsule with white powder inside?

I had scans and xrays done in the past but the vet has assured me it isn't a stone as her bladders soft and she's not in pain so I'm trusting her this time as Ellen does have a history of IC and uti's but it's always worth having a scan done if you're concerned
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Mine too. I am hoping for cystitis actually over a stone. It does come in a capsule. I will check the ingredients and pick some up.
 
With my old stone pig experience, when he had a stone the pain was massively obvious. He was hunched up alot. He had 3 stones and went downhill rapidly. But thats a boar i dont know if its the same in sows.

Just to add, you probably know this already but metacam will work as an anti inflamatory too. Was that irrelevant? I thought someone mentioned pain killers.
 
Claire W said:
From past experience and from worrying myself sick, I doubt very much your girl has a stone :)
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My vet didn't think so either. I would imagine she would be in pain. I don't know. I always go right to worst case scenario. I need answers to everything. If I don't get them, my mind reels until I do. Lol. Stupid anxiety. I have been through a lot with my animals in the past, so I think that is why.
 
Skypipdot said:
With my old stone pig experience, when he had a stone the pain was massively obvious. He was hunched up alot. He had 3 stones and went downhill rapidly. But thats a boar i dont know if its the same in sows.

Just to add, you probably know this already but metacam will work as an anti inflamatory too. Was that irrelevant? I thought someone mentioned pain killers.
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Thanks! Sorry about your boy! 😣
 
Livia Rabideau said:
My vet didn't think so either. I would imagine she would be in pain. I don't know. I always go right to worst case scenario. I need answers to everything. If I don't get them, my mind reels until I do. Lol. Stupid anxiety. I have been through a lot with my animals in the past, so I think that is why.
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I am exactly the same.
 
Livia Rabideau said:
Thanks! Sorry about your boy! 😣
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thanks, its hard to think about because i fed kale and spinach everyday and in large amounts. I hadnt done my research and was new to having guinea pigs. He was 6 though, and his bro on the same bad diet lived to 7 stone free. But i basicly killed him with high calcium diet
 
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